Before starting the band Mindless Self Indulgence, James Euringer launched a solo album in 1995, called Mindless Self-Indulgence, which he had produced by himself and was limited to 500 copies. Contrary to popular belief, this was not an album by the band Mindless Self Indulgence, however, Steve Righ? played guitar for the track "Bed of Roses".
Another large influence in the band's music comes from early 1980s culture. Frequently the music contains samples of early 80's hip-hop or rock, as well as Atari-style beeps and tones. Their second album as a band, 1999's Tight, was even allegedly mixed on Atari equipment. Many of Urine's dress styles consist of the juxtaposition of popular 1980s clothing or bastardized versions thereof.
Later in February 2000, MSI launched the album Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy, featuring 30 tracks that were sorted alphabetically. Kitty (Drummer) designed and ran the official site of MSI when the album came out.
After Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy , Vanessa YT (Bass player) decided to leave MSI to start a family. Her replacement in the band was Lyn-Z (Bass player).
Mindless Self Indulgence is distinguished from mainstream punk, however, by their incorporating lyrics about being gay and related topics into nearly all of their songs - even titling one of their songs Faggot. Also, Euringer and Steve, Righ? (Guitarist) possess wide vocal ranges, stretching from tenor to high falsetto. The band also has no qualms about using words deemed offensive by some, such as nigga (Jimmy Urine argues that he doesn't say the word out of anger, and often it is more or less used in the sense that it is used in the hip-hop world), and faggot heavily in many of their songs. Many critics have used their word choice to dismiss the band as juvenile.
And although this may be the case, with some songs being of a 'juvenile' subject and tone, they also use clever lyrics and stance to give meaning to songs, such as You'll rebel to anything, which is a song that talks about how punk culture is being exploited by misdirected youths as a way to be unique or get noticed.
In keeping with their confrontational posture, Euringer has been arrested for pulling his penis out of his pants and attempting to set his pubic hair on fire, allegedly succeeding on one such occasion. Other notable stage antics include him drinking his own urine, inviting audience members to punch him in the face and/or throw objects at him, making out with both genders during the show, and roaming through the audience after the set blaring hip-hop music from a boom box perched on his shoulder.
The band's energetic live shows have gained them much recognition. The band is known to stay after the show has finished, signing whatever fans want until not one person is left wanting an autograph. They also take photographs with all desiring fans. They have opened for a number of popular bands, including System of a Down, KoRn, Staind, Sum 41, Mushroomhead, Insane Clown Posse, My Chemical Romance, and Rammstein. They have also played many large musical festivals including Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans in October of 2003 (and in Memphis, TN after Hurricane Katrina in 2006), as well as headlining the Mojave tent at the 2004 Coachella Festival, and the main stage of 2007's Give It A Name. They also headlined the second stage of the Projekt Revolution tour in Summer 2007.
Their DVD, called Our Pain, Your Gain, was released on September 11, 2007, featuring one of their concerts in New York.
On 29th April 2008, their 4th studio album, If, was released. The standard edition contains 15 tracks, the deluxe edition has the same tracklist and a bonus DVD. The Clean version has 16 tracks, Uncle being the additional track. The International edition (UK version) has 21 tracks; 3S as bonus track and four Never Wanted To Dance remixes.
On 25th October 2012, they began a Kickstarter to crowdfund their next studio album, which reached its goal by December 24th of that year. Digital downloads for their fifth studio album, How I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit And Love Mindless Self Indulgence, were released on 13 March 2013. There are three different versions of the album, with each including the standard 13-song tracklist as well as bonus tracks. The Kickstarter exclusive downloads include the bonus tracks Angel, I Am Not Here to Make Any Friends, and Last Gay Song. The Kickstarter exclusive digipak CD includes the bonus track Sex for Homework. The tour edition CD includes the bonus track Seven Minutes in Heaven. The Metropolis Records released CD includes the bonus cover, The Logical Song (originally by Supertramp).
After the 2014 tour concluded, Mindless Self Indulgence began a hiatus from touring to spend time with their families. On 18 September 2015, the band released the supposed "lost" album Pink, a 19-song album of remastered versions of the "Pink Demos" from 1990-1997, including covers Personal Jesus (originally by Depeche Mode and Girls On Film (originally by Duran Duran). The album includes redone versions of tracks from the self-titled EP from 1995. It’s also known that there are 31 “lost” tracks from 1990-1997 (“Pink Demos” era), and that 15 of those tracks were added onto Pink, then also implying that there are another 16 “lost” tracks that could be released in future, however chances are slim due to recent events.
Masturbates
Mindless Self Indulgence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
death with the ba... ba...
chuck it
television is good for you - it's not the best
cause nothing beats the feel of your fucking wrist
and so big and so bad and so large
masturbation is good for you - it's not the best
it's so wet and so round and so deep
death with the right gun
i'm thinkin' i'm uh masturbates oh no
nothing but sweat inside my hands
masturbation is good for you - it's not the best
cause nothing beats the feel of your tight old ass
it's so big and so round and so fat
The lyrics to Mindless Self Indulgence's song Masturbates may seem confusing and nonsensical at first, but upon closer inspection, they seem to touch on themes of sexuality, addiction, and death. The repetition of "death with the ba... ba..." at the beginning of the song hints at a darker tone, as if the singer is contemplating mortality while engaging in the act of masturbation. The lines "television is good for you - it's not the best/cause nothing beats the feel of your fucking wrist" suggest a critique of modern society and its over-reliance on technology at the expense of human connection and pleasure.
As the song progresses, the singer shifts their focus to the female anatomy, singing "masturbation is good for you - it's not the best/cause nothing beats the touch of your clitoris/it's so wet and so round and so deep." Here, the song takes on a more erotic tone, celebrating the female body and the pleasure it can bring. However, the references to death and the "right gun" suggest an underlying sense of danger and a potentially fatal obsession with self-gratification.
Overall, Mindless Self Indulgence's Masturbates is a complex and multi-layered song that touches on a range of themes and emotions. While the lyrics may be surreal and disjointed, they ultimately paint a picture of a person grappling with their own desires and mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
death with the ba... ba...
An incomplete thought that appears twice, possibly referencing death and uncertainty.
chuck it
Possibly a command to move on or let something go.
television is good for you - it's not the best
Television may have some benefits, but it is not the best option available.
cause nothing beats the feel of your fucking wrist
Masturbation is pleasing, but may not be as good as other options.
and so big and so bad and so large
Possibly referring to excessive or exaggerated characteristics.
masturbation is good for you - it's not the best
Masturbation may have some benefits, but it is not the best option available.
cause nothing beats the touch of your clitoris
Other types of sexual stimulation may be more satisfying than masturbation.
it's so wet and so round and so deep
Possibly describing physical features, but in a crude and objectifying manner.
death with the right gun
A reference to suicide, but unclear whether serious or not.
i'm thinkin' i'm uh masturbates oh no
Unclear, possibly indicating regret or remorse.
nothing but sweat inside my hands
Possibly describing the physical act of masturbation or the singer's general level of arousal.
cause nothing beats the feel of your tight old ass
Possibly objectifying and derogatory towards older people or women.
it's so big and so round and so fat
Possibly referring to physical features in an objectifying and derogatory manner.
Lyrics © JAMES IS A GIRL MUSIC C/O CITRIN COOPERMAN, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES EURINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind